1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of controlling fuel cell systems that generate electric power utilizing electrochemical reactions, and are used in, for example, electric vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional fuel-cell-system shutdown method, the system has been configured in such a way that fuel gas or gas diluted with an appropriate amount of inert gas has been made to flow over an anode, inert gas has been flown over only a cathode in order to purge oxidant gas, and a resistor has been connected to the output of the fuel cell; thereby, the system has been controlled, by the resistor being connected to or disconnected from the output, so that the cell voltage has become approximately equal to EMF (electromotive force) of the theoretical hydrogen electrode concentration cell (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 128,362/1989 (on page 2)